Federal Service Leader To Address Blaine House Conference

AUGUSTA – Planners for the 26th Blaine House Conference on Service and Volunteerism announced that the new leader of the federal agency that funds AmeriCorps, Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions, RSVP, and Maine’s new volunteer centers will be the keynote speaker at the October 9 conference in Orono.

Wendy Spencer was confirmed as the head of the Corporation for National and Community Service on March 29, 2012 and is the first agency head to visit Maine within the first six months of office. Ms Spencer has held management positions in the private sector, state government, and in major nonprofit organizations. These include serving as campaign director of United Way of Big Bend, Director of the Florida Park Service, and for the past eight years, as Chief Executive Officer of the Florida Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Community, commonly known as Volunteer Florida.

Recognized by her peers for leadership in the volunteer sector, Wendy was elected nationwide as chairman of the Association of State Service Commissions, which is comprised of 54 state service commissions linked to governors’ offices. In 2006, President George W. Bush appointed Wendy to the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation where she served with 24 other leading volunteer advocates as an “Ambassador of Service” promoting a culture of citizenship and volunteer service nationwide.

The October 9 conference is the only statewide professional development event for volunteer program leaders, funders, staff, and National Service members. This year the focus is on service as a pathway to education, work readiness, economic opportunity, and community emergency preparedness. Presenters from New York City, Boston, as well as in-state are leading twenty-seven sessions.

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Organized by the Maine Commission for Community Service, the conference annually draws over 300 people. Registration opened at the end of August and this year organizers are offering travel assistance to volunteer program staff from the counties furthest from Orono. These travel “scholarships” are possible thanks to a contribution from Cabot Creamery.

For more information and registration, visit VolunteerMaine.org or contact the Commission at service.commission@maine.gov or 207-624-7792.